Monday, February 23, 2009

A Cue FromGod

I recently got a piece of mail from someone that had one statement in it that made an inroad into my heart... It said that there was "help in the wings" or something to that effect. I immediately thought of the times I have been preaching and suddenly needed help from the wings. A cue! A clue!

I have been preaching and pastoring and teaching Bible for 40 years now, give or take a month or two, and I have never gotten over the supernatural "stage-fright", the fear of not pleasing the Creator as I spoke of Him, His son, and His Spirit! Anyone worth their salt, and with an ounce of realization in them is a little afraid of not measuring up to God's level. Now I don't worry about people, only Him! If I was preaching about people then I would worry about them... but I'm not!

I believe that He is able to take what I say, especially if I have been dilligent in my preparation, and minister it to the hearts and minds of the hearers. But I still want to please Him. I don't want to make it necessary for Him to repeatedly replace "Malchus' ear" weekly! That is just one of the problems. Here are more!

I don't ever want to use the pulpit to attack, promote, or please anyone. I don't want trivia. I don't want a "canned" sermon off the internet either! I really want to bring a relevant, revelant, 'warm' Word from God to His flock! That is what most people want anyway. They don't want to be excited by delivery, but by the Spirit! Most believers want something they thought came from God, through the preacher, to them!!!

Pray for me!!! jack

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Life

Life is a wonderful thing... more wonderful some than to others for obvious reasons.

Here in America, the USA rather, if you are in reasonably good health and have a source of income other than welfare, life may be very good to you. You are free and you can seek avenues of pleasure and enjoyment to satisfy the need for some of these things. A need which most citizens of the USA have developed, mostly from Madison Avenue telling us that we want/need this to be truly happy.

There are many people in third-world countries which Madison Avenue has no access to and therefore they don't realize how deprived they are. Some have never known a family structure, i.e. father, mother, home, food, toys, etc. It is never missed because it was never known.

There could come a day when we blessed ones are in a different situation. Those who are severely deprived have learned to be happy and content with what they have. Paul said he was content... He was content because he found his joy, peace, and satisfaction in his relationship with the Lord. If you begin to lose your joy when gas prices rise, or inerest rates fall on your investment, or the stock market struggles, all you have to do is to remind yourself that His Kingdom is intact and flourishing.

I heard a preacher on TV say that church membership was failing and Islam was growing and he was concerned about the trend. I want the church I pastor to grow, but church growth is not a legitimate indicator of the growth of the Kingdom of God. It is an internal Kingdom. It does not attract the casual man of faith. It isn't showy or flambouyant. Its believers rest in the supremacy and sovereinty of God.

Life is short. Just the other day I was a young man enjoying my youth. Today I am 69 years old. I can't believe it. But for the past 40 years my faith has held me close to the Savior. Now my life is certainly closer to the end than the beginning, but I have a hope that reaches beyond my circumstance. In other words, I am closer to being with Him every day. Psalm 16:11 says it all... cling to this, "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

jack

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Mistakes

Mistakes are more common than we would like to admit!

They are also more often the result of either oversight, rushing, anger, misinformation, and other like things than we would like to admit! Whether we own up to these actions or not, the truth remains the truth! Our denial, deception, or outright dishonesty about the cause of the mistake NEVER changes the truth!

Wrong roads travelled, wrong words spoken, wrong attitudes, wrong or incomplete information ultimately lead to the wrong "destination". If we get on the wrong road on our trip to Tallahassee, we will immediately (upon realizing it), change to the correct road. In life however, we often just change our destination to the one down this "wrong road" and act like we were really going there anyway.

Anyone can get on the wrong road, get the wrong information, or even miss our chance to turn off this road and get on the right one... but it takes a wise and secure man/woman to stop, turn around and go back to the right road/direction, and begin the journey over again! Honor belongs to the person who can say, "I was wrong." But honor is not always given. Why? Because we live in a society that holds mistakes against the erring one and counts them as less than smart or whatever!

I am, eventually, a man who can ask directions, keep my focus on what is my original destination, and take advice about "bridges out ahead"! Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I can admit my mistakes (if I was to ever make one!!)

jack